title: Examining the safety of colon anastomosis on a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion can impair anastomotic strength. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of delayed colon anastomosis following remote ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats divided into two groups underwent bilateral groin incisions, however only the study group had femoral artery clamping to inflict IR injury. Twenty-four hours following this insult, the animals underwent laparotomy, incision of the transverse colon and reanastomosis. End points included anastomotic leakage, strength and histopathological features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anastomotic leak among IR animals (22.2%) was not statistically different in comparison to the controls [10.5% (p = 0.40)]. Anastomotic mean burst pressures showed no statistically significant difference [150.6 ± 15.57 mmHg in the control group vs. 159.9 ± 9.88 mmHg in the IR group (p = 0.64)]. The acute inflammatory process in the IR group was similar to controls (p = 0.26), as was the chronic repair process (p = 0.88). There was no significant difference between the inflammation:repair ratios amongst the two groups (p = 0.67).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary colon repair is safe when performed 24 hours following systemic IR injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery and Trauma Unit, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czeiger
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osyntsov
authors.affiliation: Pathology Institute, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben- Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Osyntsov
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Chad G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gigi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery and Trauma Unit, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel ; Department of General Surgery, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel.
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shaked
keywords: Colon; Emergency surgery; Injury; Intestinal anastomosis; Ischemia-reperfusion; Rat model